800 International Journalists Show Up To See Byton At CES 2019

Talk about a massive showing — today, at CES 2019, close to 800 international journalists came to hear about Byton’s announcements. The international startup said it was on track again to produce the M-Byte by the end of 2019 and revealed another display for the front passenger.

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The big news is that Byton is again on track to produce its first electric vehicle (EV), the M-Byte, by the end of the year. This is good news considering we’re used to delays, excuses, and snafus from startups. It also shows Byton has met its targets regularly since it was founded three years ago.

The other big reveal was that the front passenger gets an extra screen between the two seats, where they can access certain functions, such as lighting, music, and more. Rear passengers already have video screens for various features. Byton also includes a place on the side of the doors for smartphones to control features.

Byton said the reason it added the extra screen in the front is that not everyone might have their smartphones readily available nor want it to use it to control their M-Byte environment. This also means the front passenger has the same amount of flexibility the rear passengers have to either use their smartphones or their screens.

Byton chose to use its second year at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to announce that news instead of a dramatic reveal, which was refreshing. It also sends the message that its second year is about delivering and less about future plans. The company decided instead to focus on the good production target news and the modified front interior.

Byton’s Big Bet On The M-Byte

Byton’s M-Byte is the startup’s first EV, which will be level 3 autonomous capable. The M-Byte not only has plenty of sensors to assist drivers, but also has a coherent data management infrastructure to coordinate it with the company and other vehicles. Carsten, Byton’s CEO and Founder, whom we spoke with a few days ago, along with Daniel Kirchert, President & Cofounder, explained in greater detail how the c0nnectivity, autonomous features, and generous front dash screen are aimed to give back some of the lost time and productivity we give away with each traffic jams.

They also highlighted how the hardware part of Byton will last much longer than from other carmakers. The company is treating its EV more like a computer with continuous updates, which should stretch its lifespan considerably, according to the team. They also said the M-Byte was designed in 28 months, half that most other carmakers need, and will be into production in a total of 39 months. But they also said Byton would ship it with full connectivity on the go, a first in the industry.

We counted seven multitouch tablets in the car, with various ways to interact — touch, gestures, voice, and via smart devices using the company’s Byte OS.

Official Byton Partners

Byton also introduced who will help with the artificial intelligence (AI) side of things, Amazon’s Alexa. And for those who have not warmed up to the AI, Byton says you will have a choice to give the startup information or not. If you choose to, Byton will suggest relevant information, such as restaurants, reminders, etc., using your Byton ID.

Byton also has an app and the app allows you to change the interior color, open the doors, and much more. It also has a nifty Augmented Reality (AR) feature. You can already try the app, and you can see how your future Byton would look anywhere you are, at home or on the go.

The other official partners are FAW, Baidu, Faurecia, Bosch, CATL, and Amazon — quite a team. Byton also said it is on track to introduce its third vehicle by 2023, and the K-Byte by 2021. The first Byton experience center will open in Shanghai (the location of another notable EV event today).

Byton Presenting Technology Ready Today, Ahead of the Competition

Overall, Byton was excited to announce that its technology is ready to be built this year. What was interesting was that it again showed a genuine interest in inviting comments, suggestions, and even challenges from the audience. Overall, it was a surprising way to use CES — not to unveil grandiose futuristic plans but to say the company is on track for production.